Excavating-machine.



M. Gr. lBUNNELL. EXGAVATING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 2, 190s.

937,764. l Patented 0615.26, 1909.

UNITED STATES PAENT 'FFICE MORTON G. BUNNELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK C. AUSTINfOF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. l

EXCAVAIINGr-IVIACI-IINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

Application led September 2, 1908. Serial No. 451,298.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, MoRToN Gr. BUNNELL, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Excavating-Machines, of which the following is a specifn cation.

My invention relates to excavating machines of the kind used in building levees.

It relates more especially to that type of levee builder employing a bucket that scoops up the dirt at one side of the machine and carries it across to the other side where it is then discharged onto the levee. As the machine travels along it Jforms an excavation at one side and a levee or embankment at the other. A swinging runway is provided that reaches into the excavation to guide the bucket in its back and forth movements. Means are provided for raising and lowering said runway about its axis to allow the bucket to work at different depths.

The object of my invention is the provision of means whereby the said runway can be lengthened and shortened at will, so as to regulate the operation and action of the bucket in the excavation, thereby insuring a level and straight floor or base for the ditch or excavation, notwithstanding that the machine may not be able to move along level ground, and even though the distance of the machine above the bottom line of the ditch may necessarily vary considerably, as in digging ditches or trenches of different depths as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings z-Figure 1 is a side elevation of an excavator embodying the principles of my invention, showing the manner in which the same forms an excavation at one side in order to obtain dirt to build the levee at the other side. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail top plan view of the adjustable portion of the runway that guides the bucket into and out of the excavation. Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3 3 in Fig. 2. I

Thus illustrated, my invention comprises a body A supported for movement on trucks B of any suitable character. The runway C is composed of parallel guides secured together and pivoted at c to the levee side of the body. Said runway has an outer bent portion o for upsetting the bucket, as will hereinafter be explained. A sheave c2. is mounted at the end of the runway, and a sheave c3 at thelowest part of the portion c', as shown. At the excavating sideof the machine a swinging runway D is pivoted to the body at d, said runway being composed of parallel guides. The said runway D has its lower end cl turned up to provide a starting place for the bucket, and horizontal' and vertical braces cl2 and Z3 are appliedV to said runway to give strength and rigidity thereto. Sheaves (Z4, (Z5, d and d" are mounted on the lower upturned portion of the runway D, and a sheave a is mounted on the body A adjacent the point (Z. Another sheave a is mounted on the other side of the machine adjacent the point c. An operating cable E runs around and upon all or said sheaves, from the arm or runway C across the body to the runway D, and is wound on the operating drum or windlass F driven by the engine f. Suitable means are provided for enabling the operator to control the motion of the cable at will. A bucket G is secured to said cable and provided with wheels that travel in the guides of the runway D, as well as in the guides of the runway C. As shown, the bucket is just starting down and around the lower end of the runway D, so as to fill with dirt. IVhen it arrives at the portion c the bucket overturns and dumps the load on to the levee. Then the motion of the cable is reversed and the bucket travels back to starting place d, preparatory to getting another load.

A boom or derrick arm H projects from the side of the machine, and is equipped with a cable 7L for raising and lowering the runway D. Thus the runway can be lowered as tast as the bucket cuts its way into the ground, and can then be raised to give the bucket a fresh area to work on. It will be understood that the machine is moved a distance ahead each time it is desired to bring the bucket over new ground. Any suitable arrangement can be used for thus moving the machine. n

In order to vary the length of the runway D, and thereby raise and lower it bodily for different depths of ditch, it is divided into upper and lower sections Z8 and dg, which are so connected that the lower section is movable or adjustable toward and away from the upper section. For this purpose the two sections are connected by adjusting screws I-I, one at each side of the runway. Each screw has right and left threads, as shown in F ig. 2, and a middle portion z' by which it can be rotated in the threaded lugs z" on the two sections of the runway. By-

rotating these screws the two sections can be moved toward and away from each other and the length of the runway D thereby varied to insure proper regulation of the bucket in the excavation. The effect, more broadly stated, is to raise the runway bodily, and to lower it the same way, for different depths of ditch.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the line of the bottom or base of the ditch or excavation can be kept straight or level, notwithstanding that the machine itself may be compelled to travel over ground that first takes it up hill and then down. In this way the floor or bottom of the ditch or excavation can always be straight or level, which for work of this kind is obviously desirable, and which' prior to my invention was not always possible in the use of a machine of this kind; for where the machine was compelled to go up and down over hilly ground, the floor of the ditch then had the same rise and fall or was not always level; and this was also true when it was desired to vary the depth of the ditch, as then the bottom would not be level. Now, however, and by means of my invention, the runway D can be lengthenedl when the machine goes up hill and shortened when the machine goes down hill, thus preserving the line or level desired for the base of the ditch. The bottom will be level at any ultimate depth of the ditch. When the runway is lengthened, the machine is steered away from the ditch, and when the runway is shortened, the machine is steered closer to the ditch. Thus the ditch can be made to take the desired course at all times and under varying conditions of the surface of the ground over which the trucks of the machine are forced to travel. Also, in making ditches of dierent depths the bottom will always be level.

The lifting cable 7L can be used for raising and lowering the runway D and the bucket, but it cannot be used for varying the depth of the ditch below the surface of the ground, because when the runway is moving up and down its bottom portion all (that forms the floor or base of the ditch) is given a different angle, and this would make one corner of the'base of the ditch lower than the other-that is to say, the runway mfust always be lowered to a certain position, in order lto secure a `level floor or base for the ditch. By -means of the screw I, however, the bottom of the runway D can be made to fall to a greater or less distance below 4the surface of the ground, without varying theshape of the floor or base of the ditch in cross section. Thus, as explained, the required shape or character of the ditch can be preserved, even though the machine is forced to travel over rough or hilly ground. Further lengthening and shortening of the runway D can be obtained by dividing the section el into sub-sections which can, be readily taken out and replaced, thus varying the length in accordance with requirements. I/Vhen the right length is thus approximately obtained, the exact length can then be insured by a rotation of the screw I, in the manner explained. In addition to a vertical rise and fall'about its axis, the runway which forms the ditch at one side of the machine has an up and down adjustment to 'keep the bottom of the ditch level at different depths. Also, with the specific arrangement shown, the said runway has a bodily adjustment toward andaway fromV the side of the excavator. The track J is under the machine or body of the excavator' and connects the two runways. One runway tends to counter-balance the other. Each runway is, of course, in the nature of an arm that reaches out from the side of the excan vatior.

That I claim as my invention is 1. In an excavator, a runway adapted to hang in the ditch, a bucket, means for moving the bucket along the runway, and means for varying the 'length of the runway.

2. In an excavator, an arm, a bucket, means for vmoving the bucket along the arm, and a pair of screws having right and left threads and means coperating therewith for varying the length of said arm.

3. In an excavator, an arm, a bucket, means for moving the bucket along the arm, and means for varying the llength of Athe arm, said arm composed of a plurality of endwise adjustable sections, the outer section having an upturned end to start the bucket down at one side of the ditch or excavation.

ll. In an excavator, an arm, a bucket, means for moving the bucket along the arm, and a pair'of screws having right and left threads and means cooperating therewith for varying the length ofsaid arm,said arm composed of a plurality of endwise' adjustable sect-ions, the outer section having an upturned end to start the bucket down at one side of the ditch or excavation.

5. In an excavator, a runway adapted to hang in the ditch, a bucket, means for moving the bucket along the runway, means for varying the length of the runway, said runway pivoted at its upper end. and means for raising 'and lowering said runway.

6. In an excavator, an arm, a bucket, means for moving the bucket along the arm, a pair of screws having right and left threads and means cooperating therewith for varying the length of said-arm, said arm pivoted at its upper end, and means for raising and lowering said arm.

7. In an excavator, an arm, a bucket, means for moving the bucket along the arm, means for varying the length of the arm, a body to which said arm is pivoted, and a delivering arm at the other side of said body, said bucket adapted to travel from said irst mentioned arm across the body to said delivering arm to discharge the load. j

8. In an excavator, an arm, a bucket, means for moving the bucket along the arm, a pair o-f screws having right and left threads and means cooperating therewith for varying the length of said arm, a body to which said arm is pivoted, and a delivering arm at the other side of said body, said bucket adapted to travel from said [irst-mentioned arm across the body to said delivering arm to discharge the load.

9. In an excavator, a runway adapted to hang in the ditch, a bucket, means for moving the bucket along the runway, and means for varying the length of the runway, the means for operating said bucket consisting of a cable operated by a power driven drum or windlass.

10. In an excavator, a runway adapted to hang in the ditch, a bucket, means for moving the bucket along the runway, and a pair of screws having right and left threads and means cooperating therewith for varying the length of said runway, the means for operating said bucket consisting of a cable operated by a power driven drum or windlass.

11. T he improved excavator, the same iaving a bodily adjustable and swinging runway for a traveling excavating bucket, substantially as shown and described.

1Q. In an excavator, a pivoted runway, a bucket, means for causing the bucket to travel back and forth on the runway, means for adjusting the runway bodily up and down for different depths of ditch, and means for raising and lowering the runway about its pivot.

13. In an excavator, a pivoted runway, a bucket, means for causing the bucket to travel back and forth on the runway, means for suitably adjusting the runway to keep the bottom of the ditch level for all depths thereof, and means for raising and lowering the runway about its pivot.

14. In an excavator, a swinging runway adapted to hang in the ditch and determine the cross sectional outline thereof, means for raising and lowering the outer end of the runway about an axis at its inner end, a bucket, means for causing the bucket to travel back and forth on the runway, and means at the inner end of the runway for adjusting the runway bodily up and down for different depths of ditch.

15. In an excavator, a pivoted runway, a bucket, means for operating the bucket along the runway, devices for lowering the outer end of the runway as the excavation progresses, and means disposed above groundfor adjusting the runway up and down for diiferent depths of excavation.

16. In an excavator, a pivoted runway adapted to hang in the ditch, an excavating bucket, means for causing the bucket to travel back and forth on the runway, means for raising and lowering the outer end of the runway, and means for varying the depth at which the bottom of the runway assumes a level position in the downward swing thereof.

17. In an excavator, a pivoted runway, an excavating bucket thereon, means at or near the pivot of the runway for suitably raising and lowering the latter, and means for swinging the runway up and down about its pivot.

18. In an excavator, a runway, a bucket and means for causing it to travel back and forth on the runway, and devices for adjusting the runway bodily and horizontally in a direction crosswise of the ditch.

19. In an excavator, a runway, a pivot for one end of the runway, means for swinging the runway up and down about its pivot, devices for adjusting the runway bodily and horizontally toward and away from the side of the excavator, and a bucket and means for causing it to travel back and forth on the runway.

20. In an excavator, a bucket runway, means for raising and lowering the runway, and devices for adjusting the runway for different depths of ditch.

21. In an excavator, a bucket runway, and devices for adjusting the same bodily and in a direction transverse of the ditch.

22. An excavator comprising a pivoted runway, a bucket, means for causing the bucket to travel back and forth on the runway, means for adjusting the runway up and down for different depths of ditch, and means for raising and lowering the runway about its pivot, said bucket being disposed in posit-ion to till by movement thereof toward the pivoted end of the runway'.

23. An excavator comprising a pivoted runway, a bucket, means for causing the bucket to travel back and forth on the runway, means for adjusting the runway to keep the bottom of the ditch level for all depths thereof, and means for raising and lowering the runway about its pivot, said bucket being disposed in position to iill by movement thereof toward the side of the excavator and the inner end of the runway.

24. An excavator comprising a swinging runway adapted to hang in the ditch and determine the cross sectional outline thereof, means for raising` and lowering the outer end of the runway about an axis at its inner end, a bucket, means for causing the bucket to travel back and forth on the runway, and l a direction transverse of the ditch, the

means for adjusting the runway up and down for different depths of ditch, said bucket being disposed in position to fill only by movement thereof toward the inner end of the runway, 'whereby it runs idle in the other direction.

25. An excavator comprising a pivoted double runway, a bucket, means for operating the bucket along the` runway, devices for lowering the outer end of the runway as the excavation progresses, and means for adjusting the runway up and down for different depths of excavation, said bucket being disposed between the two sides of the runway and in position to fill by movement thereof toward the inner end of the runway.

26. An excavator comprising a pivoted runway adapted to hang in the ditch, an excavating bucket, means for causing the bucket to travel back and forth on the runway,means for raising' and lowering the outer end of the runway, and means for varying the depth at which the bottom ofthe runway assumes a level position in the downward swing thereof, said bucket being disposed in position to fill by movement thereof toward the inner end of the runway, and toward the point of discharge.

27. An excavator comprising a pivoted runway, an excavating bucket thereon, means at the pivoted end of the runway for raising and lowering the latter, and means for swinging` the runway up and down about its pivot, said bucket being disposed in position to fill by movement thereof toward the point of discharge.

28. An excavator comprising a runway, a bucket and means for causing it to vtravel back and forth on the runway, and devices for adjusting the runway bodily and in a direction crosswise of the ditch, said bucket being disposed in position to fill by movement thereof toward one end of the runway.

29. An excavator comprising` a runway, a pivot for one end of the runway, means for swinging the runway up and down about its pivot, devices for adjusting the runway bodily toward and away from the excavator, and a bucket and means for causing it to travel back and forth on the runway, said bucket being disposed in position to fill by movement thereof toward the pivoted end of the runway.

30. An excavator comprising a pivoted bucketl runway, means for raising and lowering the runway, and devices for adjusting the runway for different depths of ditch.l said bucket being disposed in position to fill by movement thereof toward one end of the runway, and toward the point of discharge` 31. An excavator comprising an outwardly extending bucket runway, and devices vfor adjusting the same bodily and in bucket being disposed in position to fill by movement thereof toward the inner end of the runway.

3Q. The combination of a pivoted runway, a bucket, means for causing the bucket to travel back and forth on the runway, means for adjusting the runway up and down for different depths of ditch, means for raising and lowering the runway about itspivot, and a body adapted to travel entirely at one sid-e of the ditch.

33. The combination of a pivoted runway, a bucket, means'for -causing the bucket to travel back and forth on the runway, means for adjusting the runway to keep 'the bottom of the ditch level for all depths thereof, means for raising and lowering the runway about its pivot, and a body adapted to stand entirely at one side of the ditch.

84. The combination of a swinging run- -way adapted to hang lin the ditch and determine the cross sectional outline thereof, means for raising and lowering the outer end of the runway about an axis at its inner end, a bucket, means for causing the bucket to travel back and forth on the runway, means for -adj usting the runway up and down for different depths of ditch, and a body adapted to travel entirely between the dump and one side of the ditch.

35. The combination of a pivoted runway, a bucket, means for operating the bucket along the runway, devices for lowering the outer end of the run-way as the excavation progresses, means for adjusting the runway up and down for different depths of excavation, and a body supporting all of said element-s and adapted to Y stand between the dumpand one side of the ditch.

36. The combination of a pivoted runway adapted to hang in the ditch, an excavating bucket, means for causing the bucket to tra-vel back and forth on .the runway, means for raising and lowering the outer end of the runway, means for varying the depth at which the bottom of the runway assumes a level position in the downward swing thereof, and a :body to one side of which the runway is pivoted adapted to travel at one side of the ditch. Y

37.' The combination of a pivoted runway, an excavating bucket thereon, meansV at the pivoted end of the runway for raising and lowering the latter, means for swinging `the runway up and down about its pivot, and a body to one side of which the runway is pivoted at a fixed point, adapted to travel at one side of the ditch.

38. The combination of a runway, a bucket and means for causing it to travel back and forth .on the runway, devices for adjusting the runway bodily and in aA direc tion crosswise :of the ditch, and a body relafor one end of the runway, means for sw1ng` ing the runway up and down about its pivot, devices for adjusting the runway bodily toward and away from the excavator, a

-bucket and means for causing it to travel back and forth on the runway, and a body carrying the entire operating equipment, in cluding a power operated drum or windlass for controlling the bucket, adapted to travel therewith entirely at one side of the ditch.

40. The combination of a pivoted bucket runway, means for raising and lowering the runway, devices for adjusting the runway for different depths of ditch, and an excavator body or platform adapted to travel entirely at one side of the ditch.

4l. rlhe combination of a bucket runway, devices for adjusting the same bodily and in a direction transverse of the ditch, and a body upon which the said runway is suitably mounted, adapted to travel at one side of the ditch.

42. In a machine of the class described, a pivoted runway, a bucket, means for causing the bucket to travel back and forth on the runway, means for adjusting the runway up and down for dierent ,depths of ditch, means for raising and lowering the runway about its pivot, and another runway for carrying the bucket to a suitable position for dumping the load.

43. In a machine of the class described, a pivoted runway, a bucket, means for causing the bucket to travel back and forth on the runway, means for adjusting the runway to keep the bottom of the ditch level for all depths thereof, means for raising and lowering the runway about its pivot, and another pivoted runway for carrying the bucket to a suitable position for dumping the load.

44. In a machine of the class described, a swinging runway adapted to hang in the ditch and determine the cross sectional outline thereof, means for raising and lowering the outer end of the runway about an axis atv its inner end, a bucket, means for causing the bucket to travel back and forth on the runway, means for adjusting the runway up and down for different depths of ditch, and another runway for carrying the bucket to a suitable position for dumping the load at the other side of the machine. Y

45. In al machine of the class described, a pivoted runway, a bucket, means for operating the bucket along the runway, devices for lowering the outer end of the runway as the excavation progresses, means for adjusting the runway up and down for different depths of excavation, and another runway for carrying the bucket to a suitable position for dumping the load, provided with means for automatically upsetting the bucket.

46. In a machine of the class described, a pivoted runway adapted to hang in the ditch, an excavating bucket, means for causing the bucket to travel back and forth on the runway, means for raising and lowering the outer end of the runway, means for varying the depth at which the bottom of the runway assumes a level position in the downward swing thereof, another runway for carrying the bucket to a suitable position for dumping the load, and a connecting track between the two runways.

47. In a machine of the class described, a pivoted runway, an excavating bucket thereon, means at the pivoted end of the runway for raising and lowering the latter, means for swinging the runway up and down about its pivot, and another runway for counter-- balancing the irst runway, and for carrying the bucket to a suitable position for dumping the load.

48. Ina machine of the class described, a runway, a bucket and means for causing it to travel back and fort-h on the runway, devices for adjusting the runway bodily and in a direction crosswise of the ditch, and another runway for carrying the bucket to a suitable position for dumping the load at a distance from the side of the ditch at which the machine starts.

49. In a machine of the class described, a runway, a pivot for one end of the runway, means for swinging the runway up and down about its pivot, devices for adjusting the runway bodily toward and away from the excavator, a bucket and means for causing it to travel back and forth on the runway, another pivoted runway for carrying the bucket to a suitable position for dumping the load, and a straight horizontal track connecting the two pivoted ends of said runway. Y

50. In a machine of the class described, a pivoted bucket runway, means for raising and lowering the runway, devices for adjusting the runway for diiferent depths of ditch, and a track for carrying the bucket to a suitable position for dumping the load.

5l. In a machine of the class described, a bucket runway, devices for adjusting the same bodily and in a direction transverse of the ditch, and a horizontal track under the machine for carrying the bucket to a suitable position for dumping the load.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 22nd day of August, 1908.

MORTON Gr. BUNNELL.

Witnesses:

C. E. TAYLOR, ELLEN CLEGG. 

